"Wildcat? That corny super-hero identity doesn't go with today's executive image Batman!"-From The Brave and the Bold #110 (1974), Haney gets the point across to the kids: super heroes and corporate executives are mutually exclusive groups.

October 23, 2006

Aquaman in Adventure Comics 435-437 (1974-75)

Aquaman's next new solo appearances following the cancellation of his own title in early 1971 were 3 issues as the back-up feature in Adventure Comics from 435 through 437. The strips were all a mere seven pages long, so there wasn't much story-telling other than the main action. These were adequate, albeit easily forgettable Aquaman stories.

The historically interesting thing about these stories is that artist Mike Grell debuted here. His rough edges are apparent to those familiar with his later, refined work. The clear, crisp panels are there, but the figure composition and posing in the first story is unnaturally stiff, particularly in light of how gracefully Grell's characters would come to move once he had some experience.

The writer for the first two stories was none other than Steve Skeates, who had written the last seventeen issues in Aquaman's title. Paul Levitz wrote the third story for reasons that I'm hoping will be revealed in the next issue of Aquaman Chronicles, which will feature a Skeates interview.

The main adversary in all three stories was Black Manta, who Aquaman captured and inexplicably let go free again in the first of these three stories, just as he had in Aquaman 53, aka, the best Aquaman story ever. Even before Manta's claim to fame was killing Aquababy, the decision to let him go free made little sense and was certainly not an action Aquaman took with other lawbreakers he defeated.

Adventure 435, "As The Undersea City Sleeps" featured Aquaman defeating Black Manta, the latter of whom was raiding Atlantean crops including a scene where Aquaman discovers them and thinks:

Black Manta and his men - - rustling squid!

Now, the Cephalopodaphilites, among you might think this is one heck of a hip euphemism, but I'm pretty sure that it's just a crime involving stealing animals that Atlanteans wanted to eat. What strikes me most about this crime though is that Aquaman decided the best way to stop it was to charge and attack Black Manta. If I were the Sea King, I'd have simply telepathically asked the squids that were being herded to turn around and go the other way, but Skeates was never big on Aquaman's talking with the fishies power. Anyway, I suppose I should defer to Aquaman on the topic of the most effective way to put an end to squid rustling.

In the splash panel, Aquaman cleverly mentions that it feels like it has been 2 or 3 years since he's been in Atlantis, the latter of which is about right in real time since his series got the axe. The rust shows in a number of places in the tale. Vulko is called Vulco. Mera's outfit is yellow or purple instead of green. And Aquaman wears eye shadow in what may be the most unsettling face shot of the Sea King in his long publishing history.

One other item of interest from this tale. Apparently, the sound effects of underwater battle rhyme with words that end in the "ok" sound. Five of the eight sound effects of Black Manta and Aquaman fighting are as follows:

Blok
Thok
Bok
Sok
Plok

How and why a Thoom, Whoosh and Thonk sneak into the "ok" party is a mystery.

Adventure 436 (which I am compelled to report featured some Cephalopodaphilia in the Spectre story), features an Aquaman back-up entitled "The King Is Dead; Long Live The King". It's another Aquaman fighting Black Manta plot, but all of Aquaman's dealings are with Manta's Atlantean agent. This is a well done and packed tale for the 7 page format, opening with a mysterious sequence in which Aquaman decapitates Aquaman and flashing back to explain it.

The plot is driven by an interesting idea that 7 pages do not permit Skeates to explore – Aquaman delegating social state functions to an Aquaman robot. Aqualad doesn't like the idea at all because he thinks rulers should not cut themselves off from the general public "as certain surface-dwelling rulers have done". Space doesn't permit us to learn Mera's thoughts about appearing in public with a robot pretending to be Aquaman.

In addition to the political issues, Skeates fits in plenty of action as the famed Bugala makes a return of sorts. Aqualad sees it first and wisely runs for help. You would too if you spent a year of publishing time out of the main plot and trapped in the grip of the monster like Aqualad did in the original Aquaman series.

Adventure 437, "A Quiet Day In Atlantis" saw Paul Levitz assume the scripting duties in what has the earmarks of a hastily put together tale. This one opens with Black Manta attacking Aquaman and sealing him in a sea cave. Aquaman then negotiates through the perils of the underground labyrinth (largely because he stopped and asked a fish for directions – as a card-carrying stereotypical "I refuse to ever ask someone else for directions" kind of guy, I was disappointed in Aquaman in that sequence), emerges at Atlantis and saves a small child from a runaway farming machine. In other words, there isn't really a story here – just a collection of scenes.

What's worth noting about this tale is the giant steps forward Grell has taken in just 3 short stories. The art in this tale is markedly more dynamic than Grell's initial outing. This story also has a brief glimpse of a clothing style Grell would take with him to the 30th Century on his Legion tenure - check out the arm on the mom of the child

and Havok moonlighting undercover as an Atlantean doctor. Not being the brightest of Marvel's mutants, you can see Alex Summers forgot to take off his headpiece.

In a few issues, Aquaman would take over the lead in Adventure Comics for a brief, but wonderful run. And that, Treadmillers, will be the subject of the next Aquaman indexing entry. In the meantime, don't forget to check out Laura's take on these tales over at the revered Unofficial Aquaman website.

What about some commentary on the main Spectre stories in these issues you inquire? That will have to wait until my Adventure Comics indexing gets to these issues (but they are so good that reading them might make you go belly up like a happy dog). Sorry Spectre fans, but this is an Aquaman indexing entry. I don't make the rules, I just abide by them. Actually, I make them too, but I hate the rule-making man and if I admit I'm the rule-making man, then we've crossed over into self-loathing territory and I don't think this blog can handle such weighty introspective analysis about one of its authors. I vote that we limit all entries that address psychological shortcomings of your hosts to Mag's. His shortcomings are more interesting anyway.